Legislators line up on guns, pistol owners blast Schimel

Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel, who has frequently led the push for greater gun control is, along with her colleague Brian Kavanagh and Sen. Eric Adams, heading up a new group of legislators who are combating illegal guns (a retired NYPD officer, Adams has a gun permit, which is distinct from the illegal firearms these lawmakers are fighting against):

Here are the details of State Legislators Against Illegal Guns, which met earlier in the week:

The New York State Chapter of State Legislators Against Illegal Guns (SLAIG NY) held its first meeting of 2012 and announced the election of Senator Eric Adams, Assemblymember Michelle Schimel, and Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh as Co-Chairs of the
group’s Steering Committee.

SLAIG is planning to hold additional educational forums, meetings, and other events throughout the year. The group is committed to working together to find innovative ways to prevent illegal gun violence.

Senator Adams said, “Access to illegal weapons threatens our present and our future. SLAIG is an important part of our work toward the elimination of senseless gun violence.”

“We all have a shared responsibility to do everything we can to keep illegal guns out of our communities,” said Assembly member Kavanagh. “Achieving this will require innovative legislation and engagement among residents of our communities, advocates, law enforcement, and elected officials at all levels of government. I’m proud my colleagues who care about ending illegal gun violence have elected Senator Adams, Assembly member Schimel, and me to lead this organization. As legislators and New Yorkers, we are ready to get to work.”

Assemblywoman Schimel said, “I am honored to be selected as a co-chair of State Legislators Against Illegal Guns. The primary responsibility of government is to protect its citizens from harm. There can be no economic justice or a fair demonstration of economic development in a community where people do not feel safe. My goal has always been to reduce gun violence in New York State through education, legislation, and advocacy.”

“Keeping illegal guns out of the hands of criminals is a top priority for the City of New York. We are grateful to the members and leaders of SLAIG for leading the charge on this crucial issue, and we look forward to partnering with them to pass laws that save lives,” said Micah C. Lasher, Director of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Office of State Legislative Affairs.

Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said, “Assemblywoman Schimel has been a strong ally in the ongoing fight against illegal guns. I know that she and Senator Adams and Assemblymember Kavanagh will do outstanding work as co-chairs of State Legislators Against
Illegal Guns, and I look forward to working with them to end the scourge of gun violence that continues to plague our communities.”

Richard Aborn, President of Citizens Crime Commission said, “SLAIG plays an important role in the coordinated fight for sensible laws against illegal guns. With Congress increasingly deadlocked by partisanship, the role of state legislatures is integral to oppose the loosening of our gun laws. I am proud that New York State is leading the charge on public safety.”

As the group was meeting, though, gun advocates criticized Schimel, who met with the former Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis to discuss microstamping, which has for several years now been one of the flash points in firearms debates in New York.

Reacting to news of the meeting, the state Pistol and Rifle Association noted that almost two years ago, the city of Chicago lost a Supreme Court case in which justices ruled the city could not ban private gun ownership.

Here is what the Rifle and Pistol Association had to say:

Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel is appealing to the former Chicago Superintendent of Police for support to save her ill-conceived firearms microstamping legislation. Only in New York would an antigun zealot appeal to the authorities of a city that has been slapped for their unconstitutional laws by the Supreme Court of the United States.

Does it not stop? Governor Cuomo finally realized ballistic fingerprinting technology does not work and has called for abolishing CoBIS, an ill-conceived waste of money that has cost the taxpayers of New York approximately $40 million. Meanwhile, Assemblywoman Schimel continues to tilt at windmills by proposing more of the same scientifically disproven technologies which not even the State of California would implement.

How exactly does Assemblywoman Schimel plan to compensate taxpayers for the millions wasted on CoBIS? Will New Yorkers Against Gun Violence reimburse the costs for the worthless technology they misrepresented to the state legislature?

The legislature needs to see through the fog and stand up to the fringe special interests pushing these crackpot schemes.